Sunday, August 28, 2016

The Truth About Angels




Abide In Heaven
Matthew 28:2




The Armies of God







Are Holy
Mark 8:38




Proclaim Messages From God To People
 Luke 1:30

 The Annunciation
 Henry Ossawa Tanner




Obey God

"Bless the Lord, 
you His angels,
you mighty ones,
who do His commandments,
hearkening to the voice
of His word."
 Psalm 103:20



Will Accompany Christ At His Return
Matthew 16:27




Are Immortal
Luke 20:36




May Guard Your Way
Psalm 91:11








May Appear In A Dream
Matthew 1:20







Come To Earth For Special Tasks
Matthew 28:2




Serve Believers
Hebrews 1:7




Daniel In The Lion's Den
Briton Riviere
(1890)


Rescue God's People
Acts 12:11



Are Awesome To Behold
Luke 2:9


The Angel Appearing to the Shepherds
 Govert Flinck
 (1639)



Have Emotions
Luke 15:10

Are Used To Perform Miracles
Acts 15:19

Can Appear And Disappear Quickly
Acts 12:10

Protect Children
Matthew 18:10


 Guardian Angel And Children Crossing Bridge  
Lindberg Heilige Schutzengel



Worship God
Luke 2:13


Are Not To Be Worshipped
Colossians 2:18



Will Gather God's Elect
Matthew 24:31


"Believers look up, take courage.
Angels are nearer than you think."
-Reverend Billy Graham


Believers, look up - take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billygraha384204.html
Believers, look up - take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.
Read more at: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/b/billygraha384204.html

Thursday, August 25, 2016

In The Shelter Of Your Wings



"Hear my cry, O God, listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth will I cry to You,
when my heart is overwhelmed and fainting;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I
yes, a rock that is too high for me.
For You have been a shelter and a refuge
for me, a strong tower against the adversary.
I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever;
let me find refuge and trust in the 
shelter of Your wings.
Selah pause, and calmly think of that!
For You, O God, have heard my vows;
You have given me the heritage 
of those who fear, revere, and honor Your name.
May You prolong the true King's life
adding days upon days,
and may His years be to the last generation
of the world to come.
May He sit enthroned forever
before the face of God;
O ordain that loving-kindness and
faithfulness may watch over Him!
So will I sing praise to Your name, forever,
paying my vows day by day."
-Psalm 61


The Judean Mountains near Nataf, Israel






"Sunrise, sunset
Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly fly the years
One season following another
Laden with happiness and tears..."
"Sunrise, Sunset"
Bock/Harnick
from the Broadway musical,
"Fiddler on the Roof"
(1964)


 The Wedding Scene
from the movie,
"Fiddler On The Roof"
(1971)
 





"The Lord will keep you from all evil;
He will keep your life."
Psalm 121:7



In Favor With God
Simon Dewey





Great Spangled Butterfly rests on Butterfly Weed




“I tell of hearts and souls and dances...
Butterflies and second chances;
Desperate ones and dreamers bound,
Seeking life from barren ground,
Who suffer on in earthly fate
The bitter pain of agony hate,
Might but they stop and here forgive
Would break the bonds to breathe and live
And find that God in goodness brings
A chance for change, the hope of wings
To rest in Him, and self to die
And so become a butterfly.” 
-Karen Kingsbury

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

I'm Sure God Knew...



I'm sure God knew that we would need
A reassuring touch...


Little Girl and a Goat
Painting by Donald Zolan




When He made the friendly handclasp
That warms our hearts so much.


The Chase
Painting by William Ireland




I'm sure He knew that skies so blue
Would ofttime turn to gray;
He put the sunshine in a smile
To chase the clouds away.


Rain Shower
Illustration by Ruth Morehead


God knew, I'm sure, that you and I
Would need a helping hand,
Or a kind word, to let us know
Others care and understand. 


God must have known our hearts would need
A special kind of cheer;
I'm sure that's why He sent dear friends
To journey with us here. 

 "I'm Sure God Knew..."
Written by Kay Hoffman




Cat Napping
Painting by Donald Zolan



 
"And live in love, as Christ
loved us and handed Himself
over for us as a
sacrificial offering to God
for a fragrant aroma."
Ephesians 5:2
 
 
Little Girl In Her Garden
Painting by Brenda Burke



Reflections By The Sea



My God is my companion here
As I walk the sandy shore
Reflecting on His righteousness
Which will last forever more.


Walk With Me
Greg Olsen



I feel the cool and vibrant air
Caress my burning face,
And smell the salty ocean breeze,
Which draws me to this place.



Dawn at the Sea of Galilee





A gentle mist is rising, now,
And with it, lifts my heart-
From burdens that encompassed me,
I feel them all depart.







My mind is filled with quietness
For peace has been restored-
My heart has been renewed, again,
In the presence of the Lord.




Sunset over the Sea of Galilee




The sky grows orange, then golden-
An awesome thing to see.
As I watch it ever changing,
Then quickly fade away-
I bow my head in gratitude
And thank Him for this day.

"Reflections by the Sea"
Written by Anita G. Hamill






Michael Row The Boat Ashore
The Highwaymen

Sunday, August 21, 2016

The Heroes of August: Remembering V-J Day




Omaha Beach Memorial Cemetery
Photograph by Kim Williams


August 2016 marks the 71st anniversary
of V-J Day (August 15, 1945) when the fighting
against the forces of the Empire
of Japan ended during WWII.


Look On Heroes With Pride

Please don't look upon my aging warriors with
disrespect and disdain.
They're our forgotten treasures, with backs now
bent and racked with pain.
Children of the Depression, they had few pleasures
when they were boys,
Never complaining or grumbling, because they
didn't have any toys.

They too were very young once, full of mischief
and full of play
Just as most young children are, on this very
peaceful day.
Many left school at 16, their families needed
help to survive,
They stopped being children and went to work,
at jobs from nine to five.

Then one December day, their lives would take
another disturbing turn.
They would go to war, from which many of
them would never return.
They didn't shirk their duty, protest or run away
to some foreign land;
They rushed instead, to volunteer, to give their
country a much-needed hand.

They landed on Normandy beach, midst thousands
of shells and enemy landmines.
Young boys' bodies torn apart by enemy fire, for
America, this had to be the worst of times.
Some were proud Marines at bloody Guadalcanal,
where we lost many a brave boy.
Or, with the Navy during the battle of the Pacific,
that brought the Japanese no joy.

They fought on strange islands called Tarawa,
Eniwetok, and Saipan to name a few,
Repelling screaming Japanese suicide charges,
experiencing fears that boys never knew.
They were on board the Enola Gay
that dropped the big bomb that fateful day.
That shortened the war and sent our boys home,
home safely from the frightening foray.

They left close friends behind, in graves, far
away from their homes and family.
So many brothers, sons and beloved fathers who
gave their lives so willingly.
Under thousands of white crosses they lie, in
lines so very straight and true.
Boys who sacrificed their lives, to make the
world safer for me and you.

At war's end, they returned home, to work the
farms and factories once more
To make this country so great and powerful, that
we would never again have to go to war.
If you want to see them smile again, with bodies
ramrod straight and full of pride
Just parade Old Glory by, recite the national 
anthem or blow "Taps" at a friend's graveside.

So, when you see old heroes who gave so
much and suffered so much pain
Look upon them with pride, for we may never
see their like pass by this way again.
Written by Carlo Piccolo



General Eisenhower with American troops
during the D-Day Invasion
June 6, 1944



On August 7, 1942
 United States Marines landed on
Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands
in the South Pacific to battle Japanese forces
occupying the island. 



This post is dedicated to the
boys who became the gallant men of
this greatest generation, the
heroes of the United States Armed Forces,
  many of whom are now gone from
this earth. 
To those who are still with us,
thank you for your service to America
and for my freedom!

Friday, August 19, 2016

August Ramblings



Often your tasks will be many,
And more than you think you can do.
Often the road will be rugged
And the hills insurmountable, too.

But always remember, the hills ahead
Are never as steep as they seem,
And with Faith in your heart start upward
And climb 'Til you reach your dream.

For nothing in life that is worthy
Is never too hard to achieve
If you have the courage to try it
And you have the Faith to believe.

For Faith is a force that is greater
Than knowledge or power or skill
And many defeats turn to triumph
If you trust in God's wisdom and will.
 -Helen Steiner Rice




Hand-crafted bridge on a walking trail
through the New Jersey Pine Barrens



"The moon is at her full, and riding high,
Floods the calm fields with light.
The airs that hover in the summer sky
Are all asleep to-night."

-  William C. Bryant




The full moon in August is called the Sturgeon Moon.   
American Indian tribes in the Great Lakes region and upstate New York
believed these fish could be caught in abundance during this full moon.






Quotes of the Month

"Video games are a waste of time for men
with nothing else to do."
-Ray Bradbury

“The library is always an adventure!” 
-Ray Bradbury


One of my favorite Ray Bradbury classics!




Due to the madness of 
this technology-distracted age,
a word to the wise is sufficient.
Take time to read every day!


Portrait of Sophy Gray
Charles Edward Perugini







Good books are friendly things to own.
If you are busy they will wait.
They will not call you on the phone
Or wake you if the hour is late.
They stand together row by row,
Upon the low shelf or the high.
But if you’re lonesome this you know:
You have a friend or two nearby.

The fellowship of books is real.
They’re never noisy when you’re still.
They won’t disturb you at your meal.
They’ll comfort you when you are ill.
The lonesome hours they’ll always share.
When slighted they will not complain.
And though for them you’ve ceased to care
Your constant friends they’ll still remain.

Good books your faults will never see
Or tell about them round the town.
If you would have their company
You merely have to take them down.
They’ll help you pass the time away,
They’ll counsel give if that you need.
He has true friends for night and day

Who has a few good books to read.
-By Edgar Guest





The Library In The Old Manse...



I could easily live in this room!




But now back to August.
This month seems to be swiftly passing by.
Summer's warm stillness 
will soon give way to Autumn's chillness.
(Never said I was a poet!)




Meanwhile down the shore...



 Sunrise Over The Sea
Ocean City, New Jersey



Ah! what pleasant visions haunt me
As I gaze upon the sea!
All the old romantic legends,
All my dreams, come back to me.
-Henry Wadsworth Longfellow




.
"I scream, you scream,
we all scream
for ice cream!"


Delicious frozen custard with rainbow jimmies 
from Kohr Bros.
Ocean City New Jersey



Walk off those extra calories while
strolling up and down the Boardwalk
and enjoy the rest of your summer!

Friday, August 12, 2016

Carousel Dreams




"Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby...







...When you wake, you'll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses..."



The Carousel
Bettie Felder






 


Black and bay, dapple and grey,
Coach and six little horses,
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby.
Hush-a-bye, don't you cry,
Go to sleep my little baby,
When you wake, you'll have cake,
And all the pretty little horses. 
 "All The Pretty Horses"
Traditional American Lullaby





 

“And the seasons they go 'round and 'round
And the painted ponies go up and down
We're captive on the carousel of time
We can't return we can only look behind
From where we came
And go round and round and round
In the circle game.” 
"The Circle Game"
-Joni Mitchell